Agencies welcome positive response to road safety campaign

As yesterday (Friday 31 January) marked the
end of a two month national road safety campaign targeting
speeding and other risky behaviour, Police and its partner
agencies say the response from the majority of Kiwis has
been overwhelmingly positive.

The Police campaign,
launched on 1 December with the support of ACC, the Ministry
of Transport, the NZ Transport Agency, and the Energy
Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA), finished at
midnight yesterday. It introduced an extended 4km/hr reduced
speed threshold for the first time beyond traditional
holiday periods, supported by a national advertising and
media campaign.

"While it will take several months until a
full and robust assessment of the campaign can be carried
out, road safety agencies have been extremely heartened that
most drivers seem to be taking the slow down message on
board," says National Manager Road Policing, Superintendent
Carey Griffiths. "Our thanks go to all of those road users
who have played their part to make it a 'safer summer' so
far for everyone.

"Anecdotal feedback from our officers
indicates the vast majority of motorists stopped for
speeding were apologetic, with fewer complaints generally.
We've also received many supportive comments, with feedback
that traffic appeared quieter and calmer over the
holidays."

The end of campaign also follows a record low
road toll for 2013, and one of the lowest ever January tolls
on record. Mr Griffiths says the figures reflect a
continuing downward trend, with statistics showing that:

-
254 fatalities were recorded in 2013, the lowest road toll
in 60 years, compared with 308 in 2012

- 23 deaths were
recorded in December 2013, the lowest December road toll
since monthly records began in 1965

- 19 deaths were
recorded for January 2014 – the second lowest number for
January since monthly records began in 1965 – one higher
than the record low of 18 in January 2013

- 42 deaths were
recorded between December 2013 and January 2014 – nearly
half the 82 recorded in December/January 2008/2009. The
4km/hr holiday speed threshold was introduced in
2010.

"This long term trend is due to several factors:
safer speeds, safer vehicles, and safer roads and roadsides
– and just as importantly, improved driver behaviour, due
to the vast majority of Kiwis who are driving more safely
and looking out for each other. This is supported by the
work that road safety agencies are doing through the Safer
Journeys Strategy and safer system approach," Mr Griffiths
says.

"That said, sadly, it's still 42 too many people who
have died so far this summer, along with countless others
who have been hurt – leaving grieving families and friends
behind. That's why Police and its road safety partners will
be continuing to focus on making our roads safer this coming
year and maintaining the downward trend."

Mr Griffiths
says while the early campaign feedback is pleasing, more
comprehensive analysis still needs to be carried out. There
are no current plans to introduce the 4km/hr speed threshold
permanently.

"In the meantime, we remind motorists that
this is no excuse to speed up, and that officers have the
discretion to issue notices for anyone travelling faster
than the posted speed limit.

"The 4km/hr threshold remains
permanently in force around all schools, as it has done
since 2007, and there will be no tolerance for anyone
speeding in these areas and putting our most vulnerable road
users at risk – particularly with many kids returning to
school next week. Police will also be maintaining our strong
focus on targeting speed, drink driving, and other high risk
behaviour on our roads throughout the rest of the
year."

ACC Chief Executive, Scott Pickering, says it's
pleasing to see how positively Kiwis have responded to the
campaign. "The reality is, the faster you go, the worse your
injuries will be if you crash. We want to prevent Kiwis
from being killed and suffering serious, lifelong injuries
on the road, which is what this campaign was all
about."

“The support from New Zealanders
for the efforts of Police to keep our roads safe over the
past two months is great, and drivers themselves deserve
huge credit for taking responsibility for their own safety,
and for taking their feet off the accelerator.

"We are
having great discussions as a country about speed and about
road safety, which are moving beyond the old paradigms of
finger-pointing and blame. Reducing deaths and serious
injuries on our roads means creating a safer system which is
more forgiving of human error.

"That requires safer roads
and roadsides, safer vehicles and safer road use. Speed
affects the outcome of all crashes, and there is a wealth of
evidence which shows that even small reductions in road
speeds leads to reductions in fatalities and serious
injuries, and that lowering the enforcement threshold lowers
mean speeds.”

Chair of the National Road Safety
Committee, and Ministry of Transport Chief Executive, Martin
Matthews, acknowledges the public's role in improving road
safety. “The Police have been diligent in their
enforcement of the lower threshold over the key summer
months, but road users have also played an important role in
helping achieve a safer summer on our roads.

“What will
help us continue the trend of fewer deaths and serious
injuries on our roads are the elements identified in Safer
Journeys, the government’s road safety strategy to 2020.
These are safer roads, cars and speeds, as well as safer
driver behaviour. Making a significant difference in all
these areas is the continuing focus of all the road safety
partners,” Mr Matthews says.

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